Bucky&Reader - Futbol Fever
by originalwolfgirl
Summary: just a quick little one-shot to celebrate two things I love... the World Cup and Bucky Barnes. and yes I know I alternate between present and past tense but it's two in the morning and yeah...


"Shoot It! Shoot it" Bucky shouted.

Under any other circumstances, hearing an ex-assassin say that would be quite alarming but that's what you get for getting him into the World Cup. Bucky had been living with you for a few months now; it had been a favor to Steve who had become a close friend of yours when he lived in the apartment across the hall. He now had business elsewhere hunting down Hydra but he entrusted you with the care and rehabilitation of his best friend, Bucky Barnes aka the Winter Soldier.

"Are you kidding me!?" Bucky said exasperated at your television.

The FIFA had started a few weeks ago and you had wanted an excuse to spend time with Bucky so you convinced him that watching it was a necessary part of his cultural education. He fidgeted for the first half of the game but once he watched a play unfold that resulted in a winning goal, he'd been hooked.

Since then he tried to watch every game that came on and you didn't mind spending your summer this way, watching his eyes light up with excitement or his lips curl into a boyish smile. They say one swallow doesn't make a summer but one man has made yours. Yup, you were in love with Bucky Barnes and completely screwed.

You knew there was no way he could even feel the same about you. He has bigger things to worry about like remembering his old friends, family, and as much as you hate the thought, old lovers.

You couldn't help but admire him though as he lounged sideways on your couch in sweatpants and a tank top that revealed his metal arm bearing an ostentatious red star.

His hair was tousled from where he rolled straight out of bed and sprinted to the kitchen like his life depended on making pancakes before the first match. And when you say pancakes you mean a cartoonishly huge stack of them. The only other person you saw eat as much as he did was Steve when you went over to his apartment for lunch.

"Hey Bucky, you want something to drink?"

"Yeah, some orange juice would be-OH COME ON!"

You chuckled and reached for a glass from the cupboard. It was impossible to tear Bucky's attention away from the game but you found it cute.

"Y/N?"

"Yeah?" You replied.

"Do you have the ingredients for your special chocolate chip cookies?" He was too busy watching a penalty kick to give you his puppy-dog eyes or to see the smile reluctantly appear on your face.

"I do... and would be pleased to make some more if only I knew someone who would help me eat them..." you teased.

"Y/N" he whined and you chuckled before responding "of course, Bucky".

Even though he didn't look at you, you knew his smile was for you and warmth blossomed in your chest. "You're lucky, I love you" you murmured to yourself so Bucky wouldn't hear you.

The game continued on in the background as you got to work mixing the batter together.

Once finished, you turned to set the bowl on the counter and noticed Bucky had stopped watching the game and was staring at you, his mouth hanging slightly open and his eyes wide in surprise.

Your stomach did a flip and you hoped you had something on your face and he didn't hear what you think he heard. You nervously cleared your throat and casually asked "want to taste the batter?" Bucky stood up and almost in a daze, walked over to stand beside you so your arm brushed his. You tilted your face down and pretended to be searching for a spoon in the adjacent drawer. It was a transparent plan considering all the spoons in the drawer were the same.

You felt the cool metal of his left hand lay on your heated cheek and gently turn you to face him. You averted your gaze to the game in the background.

"Y/N" the sound of his voice murmuring your name caused your heart to beat faster and before you could help yourself, you were caught in his cerulean gaze. He looked almost... hopeful, something you had rarely seen on him before.

"Say it again" he whispered, holding your gaze so intensely you almost couldn't bear it.

"What?" You replied meekly. He knew you knew what he was talking about.

"Please мое солнце" he pleaded and even if you had the strength before, you could never refuse him when he looked at you that way. He rarely spoke in Russian anymore except for moments of unconcealed emotion, such as his nightmares.

"I...um..." You straightened your posture and took a breath. "I love you" you finally breathed out and pulled the poker face of your life as you waited for his reaction. He blinked and for a few seconds he looked like he'd been put on pause.

You wish you hadn't closed your eyes to avoid seeing rejection so you would of seen the kiss coming. His lips captured yours and his metal arm wrapped around your back so he could draw you up against his warm torso.

You heard the sound of a stadium going wild in the background like this was the moment they had held their breath for.

Once you realized you weren't going to pass out and standing there still as a statue from shock was counterproductive, you reacted eagerly. One hand ran through his mane of brown hair, earning a deep moan that you felt under the fingertips of the other hand roaming his solid chest and venturing to the taut muscles of his bicep. His lips left yours much to both your reluctance and you close your eyes to internally commit this perfect moment to memory in case it never happened again.

"Y/N" Bucky whispered huskily and damn him for sounding so attractive. You wanted him like you'd never wanted anything in your life. You opened your eyes and the last thing you expected was for Bucky to be smiling that smile, the one he only does for you and only on those rare occasions he's genuinely happy and just for a moment he's forgotten the past or the present or anything outside of the two of you. Those were the smiles you lived for and what made loving the unobtainable worthwhile.

"I love you Y/N" Bucky stated, his smile never faltering but your sure your heart did. And suddenly you didn't need an explanation because you already knew everything he could have told you.

You felt the connection to him, the one you felt when Steve showed up at your door with him covered in dirt and dried blood, the one that made your heart feel like it was on an invisible thread that tied to his.

And now you knew he felt it too and that was all the explanation you needed. So you let yourself laugh in pure joy and stretch up on your tiptoes to pull him into another kiss. You pulled apart when you heard the oven beep to signal it was ready. Bucky dipped his finger into the batter and licked it off.

"Mmmm delicious" he smirked.

You put the tray in the oven and set the timer. Without warning he scooped you off your feet and carried you to the couch where he plopped down with you in his lap. His arms wrapped around your midsection so you had no choice but to curl up and lean into his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing.

The game was in overtime and before the ref could blow the whistle, one of the forwards struck the ball from the top of the box. It sailed over the defense and swished into the corner of the net. The crowd went wild and so did Bucky. The two of you jumped up and Bucky shouted a victorious "yes!" He enveloped you in a hug and spun you around. You giggled and his mouth found yours for a celebratory kiss.

"Hmmm I could get used to this" he sighed.

"You will" you murmured, "because I am yours" you accented each word with a kiss on his lips, his cheek, the palm of his hand.

"As I am yours, мое солнце" he returned and rested his forehead against yours.

"What does that mean?" You queried.

"My sun...you've always been my light and I never thanked you for that" his eyes tried to stress the sincerity of his declaration and you kissed him once more to say you understood. You understood that he needed you because in your own way and without your realizing it, you had grown to need him too.

You were utterly in love with Bucky Barnes and maybe not so screwed after all.


End file.
